Pork related ticket...muncan food corp

This morning I received a pork related ticket while driving. Let me explain,I have been driving by Muncan Food Corp frequently and have been wanting to stop in every time, but until today, i never "had time" So because I had a few extra minutes and needed change for the meter anyways I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and stop in check out the pork, get a snack and some change for the meter (so I wouldn't get a parking ticket)I don't think I have ever seen so many different kinds of smoked pork products in one store. Very smoky aroma. I guess they are Romanian in there. I asked for a list of products, they don't have one, but were pretty willing to tell me what they had. I only ended up getting one spicy dried sausage (quite smoky but not really that spicy) and a meat pie and an apple pie (sort of very oily crust similar to a tough strudel dough i guess). And was really really excited to see coming out of the kitchen a steaming platter with sausage wrapped in pork and cooked. Sort of a pig in the blanket where the blanket is pork...I didn't get any because i was in a rush. but want to go back to check it out. Anyways I was so excited by all the pork I immediately got in the car/ on my phone to call my brother and tell him about it, and I got a ticket (what a loser...). But I didn't get a parking ticket. s

It's not just pork, and what they have goes well beyond Romanian. They make Yugoslav cevapcici, pork, beef and lamb basturma, a couple of types of kielbasa, some German-style wursts, headcheeses, some other Yugoslav sausages, smoked ribs, slab bacon, pigs' feet and ears, pork and chicken loaves, all sorts of smoked loins, salamis, bolognas...

Just started going there and have only tried a couple of things so far, but I can say the beef pastrami is a stunner. Salty, peppery, garlicky, lean and crusty, with a great, firm texture. The one I got was straight from the smoker, still warm and giving off steam. Wow.

Broadway in the mid-40s, north side, green awning. Hours seem to be roughly 8:30 to 5:30.

I go to Sunnyside Meat Market (it's closer to 43rd Ave. then QB) very often. Love the place, I'm happy we have them in the neighbourhood. But if you make me choose between the two places, Muncan wins hands down - the selection is much, much better and some of the cold cuts are tastier.

I think Muncan is one of the best Eastern European cured meat markets in the city. They have a better kabanosy than the places in Greenpoint (tasty at room temp, but very special fried up with some eggs for breakfast), very smoky ham hocks and bacon, and gorgeous hams that are brine-cured, smoked and hung to dry.

I initially visited Muncan (Astoria location; there's also one in Ridgewood) due to an old article on bureks by Jim Leff (I found their burek to be dissapointing), but I returned for the meat.